Suna to Hi
by Sitara Rhodes
Summary: [ON HIATUS] He had to kill her. Had to. Why couldn't he? Why couldn't Sabaku no Gaara kill this one girl? GaaraXOC
1. No Fear

I don't own Naruto.

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"Why aren't you afraid of me?" Gaara's voice was flat and emotionless. He pointed a knife at Naruka.

She was trapped, her arms and legs pinned to a tree by Gaara's sand. Her hazel eyes were calm and clear. They showed no trace of fear.

"What is there to be afraid of?" she asked softly, staring at the ground.

Gaara slipped his knife under her chin, forcing her head up, so she would look at him.

"What is there to be afraid of?" There was a hint of disbelief in his voice. "You can't escape, and I could kill you this very second if I wanted to."

A smile tugged at the corners of Naruka's mouth.

"What are you smiling about?" Gaara ordered the sand to bind her tighter, throwing her head back onto the tree. His knife drew a line across her neck, drinking up the blood.

"That's it," Naruka panted. The sand was making every breath an effort. "You _don't_ want to kill me, or you would've done it earlier, instead of asking me questions." She grinned at him. "Not that I dislike talking to you, but this place wouldn't be my first choice for starting a conversation."

"Joker to the end, aren't you?" He slammed Naruka's head onto the tree again. "Well, you're not getting the last laugh."

A trickle of blood worked its way down the side of her face, reaching out to touch the "No" symbol on her cheekbone. She had lost too much blood during the battle. Even now, she was feeling faint. The fact that sand was squeezing her to death didn't help. Naruka drew in another breath. The world swam in front of her, and she saw darkness smiling, coming up to greet her.

Suddenly, she was free. The sand around her disappeared. Naruka collapsed to the ground, sucking in breath after breath.

"Here," Gaara threw a bottle of water in her direction.

Naruka drank half of it greedily, and then offered it back to him.

"Keep it." His voice was as emotionless as ever.

She nodded, grabbing a branch above to get up. Her knees buckled, and collapsed under her. Naruka tried again, but her legs just didn't seem to want to support her weight.

Gaara smirked at her attempts to get up.

Naruka glared at him, pulling herself up. She got her legs under her, finally standing upright. Slowly, she let go of the branch. Naruka turned to look at Gaara, meaning to smirk at him like he just did. The darkness that had threatened to consume her earlier saw its chance. It rushed up, swallowing her.

Gaara saw her knees buckle, and her eyes close.She started to fall. He stepped forward, catching her.

"So even jokers can faint from blood loss." he murmured in Naruka's ear. He slipped one arm under her knees. He used his other arm to support her back from behind. Carrying her into the forest, he walked away from the bloodstained clearing.

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This is my first fic. I'd like it if you actually reviewed it. glares So review, or else.


	2. Waking Dreams

I don't own Naruto.

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The sky overhead was getting dark. Gaara could already see stars adorning the sky.

_Time to stop for the night._ He thought, glancing up. The girl in his arms stirred. Looking down, he saw that most of her cuts and scrapes had stopped bleeding.

_Good_ he thought. _Now I don't have to worry about finding cloth to stem the blood flow._

Gaara walked for a little while longer, until he reached a small clearing. _This is a good place to stop_. He leaned Naruka up against a tree, and went to look for firewood nearby.

Soon, he had enough firewood to last the night. He struck up a fire quickly, adding more sticks, as the fire grew bigger. Gaara stretched back, eyes closed.

_That fight took more effort then it should have._ He snuck a look at Naruka. _She is stronger than she looks._

His eyes traced her face, really looking at her for the first time. She had dark brown hair that was streaked with red. It was tied in two pigtails, giving her a childish look. Her face was a soft cream color. Perched on her nose were her glasses.

_Not that she needs them._ He thought. _She has perfect vision_. They were a sealing spell, for the demon she was. Same as the bandage wrapped around her head, the one that hid her Jagan eye. On her left cheekbone was tattooed the Chinese character for No, or Not.

_They say it means that she hates life; almost the same meaning of mine…_ He reached up and touched the Ai (Love) tattoo on his forehead. Remembering their fight, he realized that Naruka was as tall as he was.

All in all, she looked like she was ten or twelve years old, instead of the fourteen she really was. Leaning against the tree, she looked upset, the corners of her full and pink lips drawn together in a pout.

_Lips? Why am I thinking about her lips? _He shook his head violently, as if to rid himself of that thought.

_Whatever I think of her appearance, she still has the scroll I need, and I still need to take it._ He told himself firmly. _Maybe I could take it now…_ He got up quietly, walking over to Naruka. Very slowly, Gaara unfastened the pouch on her hip, the one that held the scroll.

Naruka's hand covered his suddenly, as he was drawing the scroll out of the pouch.

Startled, he dropped the scroll. It fell back into the pouch. He started to pull his hand out from under hers, trying not to wake her. Her hand gripped his tighter, then, slowly bringing her hand and Gaara's to rest on her cheek.

Now Gaara was a little more than startled. He'd never been _this_ close to a girl (besides his sister, Temaki), never mind _touching_ one. And she was _hot _(literally speaking)Just when the heat became unbearable, Naruka's eyelids fluttered.

"Don't leave me." She whispered, loud enough for him to hear. Gaara's eyes widened. What was he supposed to say to that? He wondered franticly. Clearly, she was hallucinating.

His mouth suddenly dry, Gaara wet his lips, then said softly, "Don't worry, I won't leave you."

Naruka smiled softly, and then murmured, "That's all I needed to hear."

Gently, Gaara slipped his hand out from hers. He walked stiffly back to his tree, slumping back on it. _What just happened?_ He wondered, dazed. He looked back at Naruka.

She twitched, jerking violently. "Don't hit me!" she cried out suddenly, arms raised.

Gaara's eyes widened. What was happening?

"I promise, I'll learn, I'll learn! Just don't…" She flinched. The person in her dream hit her. Naruka curled up in a ball, whimpering. "I'll learn, I'll learn." She whispered, a hint of a sob in her voice.

Gaara spent the rest of the night, listening to her dreams. Not that he slept. By dawn, he learned more about Naruka's early life then he had ever wanted, or needed, to know. He wished he knew who had hit Naruka so often. He or she must have been a monster. _Just like me._

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Review please.


	3. Home

I don't own Naruto.

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"_Don't hit me! I promise, I'll learn, I'll learn! Just don't…"_

Dawn.

_"I'll learn, I'll learn."_

Curse the light.

_"You don't want to kill me…"_

Why was it so hard? Gaara thought dully as he trekked through the forest. Why had it been so hard to kill her? He'd killed dozens like her, and would keep on doing so. He'd kill so many, without a qualm or a second glance. And Naruka was just a girl. Abet a demon girl with human characteristics. Still, it should have been easy. Why then, had it been almost impossible, to kill her? He didn't have any answers to his questions.

The mission was simple enough. Simple enough that the Kazekage thought that they didn't need a whole team to complete it. Go to Kohonoa village. Find a secret scroll. Bring it back to the village.

It should have been simple, easy. But it wasn't. The scroll wasn't anywhere in Kohonoa. It was being carried, by a certain rain ninja who had stolen it the day before. She had escaped, now in the middle of an unknown forest, probably reading it. He had had to find her, and the scroll.

Once he found Naruka, she wouldn't give it to him. Thereby initiating a fight, in which he had lost almost as much blood as she did. During the fight, he managed to tear off the bandage around her head, and cause her glasses to fall off. That's when the _real_ fight started.

She was fast, fast enough to avoid his sand attacks. And her eyes, they became a bloody red.

Fear. He had never felt it before in a battle. But he felt it then, a twinge in the bottom of his stomach. Naruka was going to kill him. Nothing could stop her now.

But something had. Something had stopped her from delivering the deathblow. She had slipped on her fallen glasses, and retied the bandage, giving him time to recover. After that she weakened considerably, allowing him to turn the tables, and pin her up against the tree.

"Almost there." He whispered softly. Looking at the girl in his arms again, he saw that she was quiet, at least for now. "Almost there."

She stirred. "I'll be there." She whispered. "Don't leave without me." Naruka lay quiet again.

She had been like this for a while. She'd sleep, then dream-talk some more, and then drop back to sleep.

Flies buzzed around the two. _We're filthy._ Gaara thought. His clothes were splattered with blood. Her clothes were covered in it. _Temari will never let us in the house._ His lips tugged up in a slight smile. _Not that Naruka will be allowed in the house. They'd just take the scroll, and leave her for the sand and the sun to deal with. _He didn't like that thought. _I want her to stay._ He wanted to know who had abused Naruka, and who kept leaving her. And then he wanted to go out and hurt them, for hurting her.

_I need to sneak her into the house. _

It was dark when Gaara arrived in the Sand village. All the lights were out. _Good._ He thought. _It'll just make sneaking Naruka in easier. _He headed for the house on the far right. His house. His siblings' house. The house they cleaned up and made suitable for human residence. Their house.

Putting his hand on the doorknob, he turned it, finding the door unlocked. _Of course. _Gaara smirked. _No one would want to steal from us._ Or are they just afraid you would kill them? Whispered a voice in his mind. He ignored it.

Gaara walked in, making sure to be quiet, his feet soft on the wooden floor. On the couch, he saw Temari, sleeping.

Had she been waiting for him, and had fallen asleep? _No. She can't have been waiting for me._ He slipped past her, and walked down the hall to his room, careful not to make a sound.

Once he was inside, he breathed. Gaara hadn't noticed he had been holding his breath.

He flipped on the light switch, glancing around. A clean, and comfortable room, the walls painted a light, cream color, met his eyes. A sturdy wooden desk, with a lamp and a chair, sat a corner. The door to his closet was open. A quick glance, and it showed neat piles of clothes, arranged accordingly. A neatly made bed that took up a quarter of the room lay close to the desk. Besides that, the room was bare.

Gaara put Naruka on his bed then his gourd next to the bed, in another corner. He walked over to his own bathroom, stripping off his bloodstained clothing, and throwing them in a heap. He would put them in the landry basket later. Right now, he was too tired. Gaara then turned on the shower, and stepped inside.

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Please review. It's the least you can do.


	4. Awake

Sorry it's taken so long for me to update. Umm... you see, I got lost on the path of life, and... yeah. So here is the third chapter. Thanks to Chixon for reviewing. I will continue this for a while, but I have school coming up so I might not be able to update as often. So yeah. Okay, I will now stop blabbering and let you read this fic of mine. Ummm... bye.

I don't own Naruto.

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_Where am I? _Her head felt loose, like it wasn't connected to her body. _Where am I? _Naruka felt something soft under her. _Grass?_ She blinked, and turned her head to see. That tiniest bit of movement sent her head spinning. She gasped, feeding the wave of nausea that was threatening to overwhelm her.

Naruka breathed, clenching her fists, until it had subsided. _Huh?_ Instead of many blades of cool grass under her like Naruka had expected, she felt the smooth, warm touch of cloth.

_Cloth? How did I get to a place where I could be laying on cloth? Unless the people from Kohnoa village found me, and brought me back to their village. _

But… she seemed to remember something about a fight, and something red. _Red? Red… Red hair. Red hair that belonged to Sabaku no Gaara!_ Everything came rushing back, the fight, the pain, and the sand nin.

_But that doesn't explain how and why I'm here. _She thought grimly. Naruka lay there, resting, thinking, and listening to the sound of running water. When she was sure she could get up without getting sick, Naruka tried, by pushing herself up with her arms. Darts of pain swarmed up her arms. Chancing a glance, Naruka saw that her arms were covered with cuts and scrapes, the blood dried over. She clenched her teeth against the pain. _Why has the water stopped running? _She thought hazily, opening her eyes. There in front of her was Sabaku no Gaara, wrapped in a towel, dripping wet from the shower. The sound of running water had been him, in the shower. Naruka opened her mouth to scream.

Quick as lightning, he raced over, dropping the towel in the process. "Quiet!" he hissed as he clapped his hand over her mouth. Gaara wrapped his other arm around her waist, pulling her up against his chest. He ignored the flakes of blood that clung to his wet skin, even though he knew he would have to shower again to get them off. Gaara listened intently for any sound inside the house. For a moment, he only heard Naruka's hoarse breathing. Then a thud. Some cursing. Someone was awake.

--

Pain. So much pain. She almost passed out again. Naruka felt Gaara's warm breath caress her cheek. He smelled nice too, like mint; only the smell was soft and clean. She felt the heat from the shower sliding off him, warming her. Naruka hadn't realized how cold she was, until now. She felt his well-toned chest against her back. Even the pain left her, until all Naruka could feel was warmth, and a sense of security. _Safe. I'm… safe here. Nothing can hurt me. Not now._ She sighed, contented.

--

Nothing. Whoever had woken up went back to bed. Gaara stayed in place a few moments more, and then, hearing nothing, whispered in his captive's ear, "Promise you won't scream?" She nodded. "Alright…" He let go of her, and frowned. "Close your eyes."

Naruka rolled her eyes and closed them. She felt Gaara let go of her waist, and walk away. She heard him stop, and grab something off the floor. _The towel._ More walking, and then the sound of bare feet on tile. There was a thud, and some cursing. In spite of everything, Naruka grinned. _It sounds like_ someone _forgot the floor was wet, and slipped_. The shower turned on, and once again, Naruka heard the sound of running water. A few moments later, the sound stopped. "Don't look." Came a voice from the bathroom. Gaara's voice. "Don't worry, I won't." Naruka retorted. "Not that there's anything to look at anyway." She added, closing her eyes.

Unfortunately, her Jagan eye picked that moment to open and look around, so Naruka saw everything, whether she wanted to or not.

He came out, only this time he didn't have a towel. If Naruka's eyes had been open at the time, they would have widened significantly. He looked _nice._ Not overly muscular, but nice. _Really _nice. He was wet too, with water droplets sliding off his body. His red hair seemed even darker now. Gaara went over, picked up his towel, and started vigorously drying his red hair. With his towel on his shoulders, he walked over to his closet and started to get dressed.

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Review please. I have only one review right now, and it would be nice to have some others... Reviews may also keep me from getting lost on the road of life...


	5. I Don't Sleep

Okay! This is the... 5th chappie I think? Sorry for the long space in between the updates. School just started for me and... yeah. -hands everyone random sharp objects- So you can take your anger out on me.

Gaara: -has sharp pencil in hand- This will be fun...

I don't own Naruto.

Note: Responses to reviewers at end.

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_Okay, okay. Just calm down. Your eyes are closed and he doesn't know that you've been peeping at him all this time. And don't think about what will happened if he found out… _Naruka was panicking, to say the least. Knowing that Sabaku no Gaara would crush her to a pulp if he found out not all of her eyes were closed didn't help. _Having an all-seeing third eye really sucks sometimes…_

While Naruka was panicking, Gaara was pulling on his last article of clothing. Once or twice while he was dressing, he felt like someone was staring at him. Gaara had glanced back both times, to see Naruka leaning against the wall with her eyes closed. Of course, he could always crush her to a bloody pulp if he caught her looking…

Gaara walked over, and tapped her lightly on the shoulder. "I'm done."

Naruka opened her eyes.

For a spilt second, he thought her hazel eyes were colored a hard, golden amber, full of malice. Gaara blinked, and they were hazel again. "It's your turn."

Naruka nodded, then tried to slip off the bed. Her head swam, and her vision threatened to black out again.

"I'll help you up."

Did Sabaku no Gaara actually offer to help her? No, it couldn't be. Sabaku no Gaara did not offer wounded, sick demon-phoenixes help.

"I said, I'd help you up."

Naruka managed a weak smile. "I heard you. And I don't think you should help me, 'cause the world's coming to an end. Sabaku no Gaara just offered to help me."

Gaara smirked and wrapped an arm around her waist. "Unfortunately, I am helping you, and the world's _not_ coming to an end." He draped her other arm across his shoulders, helping her up.

"I'm sorry I'm getting you dirty again." She whispered in his ear.

"Save your strength for walking." Gaara retorted.

They walked a few steps together. Naruka leaned heavily on him, stumbling every other step.

"Oh screw this." Gaara said suddenly, after the fifth stumble. He reached down and placed his arm under her knees, picking her up.

Naruka's eyes widened. Under any other circumstances, she would have protested. But now, she was too tired. And it felt kinda nice, snuggled up to him, his warmth lulling the pain…

* * *

_Moon. Sand. A body hugged with blood. Yashomaru… A boy, blood dripping from his forehead, with sand curled around him like a pet cat. Naruka reached out for him, and felt pain and grief, sharp as her blade. The boy turned, and for the briefest moment, she saw his face. Gaara._

* * *

"We're here." Gaara lowered her until her feet touched the floor.

Naruka's eyes snapped open, darting around wildly. "We're here?"

Gaara frowned inwardly. Why did she look as if she had just seen a ghost? "Yes, we're here. Do you think you can stand long enough to take a shower?"

Naruka smirked at him, and stood up on her own. "Yeah, I can. But I'm sure you'd like the alternative…"

When Gaara heard that thought, blood started spurting from his left nostril. He grabbed a packet of tissues just as Naruka laughed evilly and closed the bathroom door.

"Damn woman." He mumbled, words muffled because of the tissue he held to his nose

--

Gaara had another bloody nose as Naruka came out of the shower. He hid himself in the steamy bathroom while she got dressed.

"I'm done." She said in a singsong voice.

"You'd better be." He muttered, preparing for the worst. Gaara stepped out of the bathroom. Naruka stood in the middle of the room, dressed in one of his shirts. It was a little big for her, skimming the top of her thighs. "Who said you could wear one of my shirts?" Gaara voice was cold, each word a sliver of ice.

Naruka glared at him. "Do you want me to go naked?" she demanded.

This time, Gaara was prepared.

--

"You can have the bed. I don't use it."

Naruka looked at him. "Where do you sleep then?"

"I don't sleep."

"Neither do I."

That comment caught Gaara off-guard. "Why?"

"I don't feel like telling you." Naruka said waspishly.

They would have stood there glaring at each other forever if Kankuro hadn't woken up for a minute.

"Do whatever you do when it's nighttime, then." Gaara went over and leaned against the wall, closing his eyes.

"Fine." Naruka turned off the light, and sat on the bed. She wrapped the blanket around herself, and started mediation breathing. Naruka didn't notice when she fell asleep. In the dark Gaara watched her, breathing, sleeping, until dawn.

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Okay! Responses to Reviewers:

GenisSage: Thank you! And I will make plenty more chapters, but right now I don't know how many. It all depends I think.

Fallingpasttheveils: I will write more. And please don't growl at me. It gives me writers block. I will read your story, and be patient.

Lady Cell: Thank you so much for reviewing on every chappie. It was nice checking the stats and finding out I had 5 more reviews... And that is cool. It's always nice to listen to author rules.

JuryPumpkins: Sorry I took so long to update! I promise next time will be sooner. If not, you can send Gaara after me.

Ivorn Rose: I will continue writing for sometime. And I will check out your story sometime! I just haven't found the time yet, but I'll get to it soon!

Chixon: That is freaky. OO Lots more reviews now. And I am trying to make the chappies longer, but I don't think I'm a long chapter writer. I'll try though!

Blood red nin: I update soon! kinda... but next one will be sooner!

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Me: Oke all done.

Gaara: Took you long enough.

Me: -glares- I'm not a fast typer oke! And I had to go to the hospital for the wounds you caused!

Gaara: -shrugs- Whatever...

Me: Oh just shut up and say it!

Gaara: -glares at author- Oke... -turns to reader- Review please.


	6. Gaarachan

Wow! Already the sixth chappie. Okay. So here is the sixth chappie. I updated sooner, so you don't have to come after me with random sharp objects. -is seen covered in bandages-

Gaara: -pouts- But that was fuunnn.

Me: Don't forget to review! Oh, and responses to reviewers are at the end. -smiles- I have 20 reviews for this story. -bounces around while Gaara gives the author "the look."-

I don't own Naruto.

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"So you don't sleep eh?"

Dawn. Light across her face.

Naruka stirred. "Sessho?"

A face. A face with red hair.

"Yuki?" Naruka smiled. "Yuki. Ogenki desu ka." She stretched. "It was all just a bad dream then."

A tendril of confusion brushed across Gaara's face. _Just a bad dream?_

Naruka blinked, seeing Sabaku no Gaara standing in front of her, a satisfied smirk on his face.

"Oh." she said in a soft, sad voice. "I'm sorry. I thought you were someone else…"

Gaara turned around. "Whatever." He walked over to his closet, and began searching, looking for some of his old clothes.

Naruka hugged her knees, choking back the tears that threatened to brim over. Yuki and Sessho were already dead a year now, but her heart still refused to believe that. So for a minute perhaps, one glorious minute, Naruka had believed that she was back in Amegakure no Sato, and Yuki was waking her up to eat the breakfast Sessho had caught…wake up? Since when did she ever need to be waked up?

"Here."

Startled, Naruka looked up into Gaara's light-green eyes, catching them. Light green. Intense. Oh so intense. Empty. Blank. And that saddened her. Those eyes looked just like hers did, before she had become a ninja. _Did anybody ever tell him his eyes are beautiful? _She wondered, slightly dazed. _Because they are._

_Why is she staring at me? Most people would have already looked away by now…_"Here." Gaara shoved a bundle of clothes into her arms. "These should fit you."

_His eyes are so pretty…_ She blushed suddenly, realizing she had been staring. "Ummm…ahh… thank you." Naruka stammered.

Gaara turned his back to her. "Just get dressed."

--

"I'm done now."

Gaara turned. Naruka was sitting on the bed, dressed in some of his old clothes. The pants were a little too long, but she had rolled up the pant legs, so it fit alright. Gaara looked at her and realized that they were about the same size. Somewhere she had found a brush and had combed her hair into its usual two pigtails. Without her katana and her glasses, she looked almost…pretty.

_You mean pretty dangerous_.

_So you decided to wake up now?_ Gaara said silently.

_Yes. And don't get attached to her. _Shukaku warned. _Even if she does look nice after a showe…_

Gaara clapped his hands over his ears. "Stop!" he shouted, not realizing he had said it aloud.

"Gaara-chan? Daijobu?" Naruka sounded worried. It took a minute for Gaara to realize he had been called 'chan.' Nobody ever called him 'chan' before. It was…almost nice. Except no one could call him that and live.

"Sabakurô." He lifted her up, her body trapped in his sand. "Don't. Call. Me. Chan." Gaara growled squeezing her with every word. He could see her biting her lip, to keep for from crying out. _Some of her wounds must not have completely healed. _Gaara smirked. Naruka smiled back. _Why was she smiling?_ He squeezed her harder. Not too hard though. He needed her alive. At least for now. "Promise not to call me Gaara-chan and I'll let you go." If at all possible, her smile got bigger. Gaara's eyes narrowed. _Why in the hell was she smiling!_

Heat shot through the room. It was gone in that same lightning flash. There was a thud, and Gaara saw Naruka slip out of the mass of sand, with molten liquid slipping off her like water. The sand was still intact, hanging above her. Amazingly, the liquid didn't burn the clothes he'd given her. She straightened, and gave him that annoyingly cheerful smile. "I promise, Gaara-chan."

Naruka saw a muscle twitch in Gaara's face.

Shukaku was screaming at Gaara to kill her.

Gaara didn't know what to do. Every instinct in him was screaming along with Shukaku to kill her. But something was holding him back. And that something wanted her alive, and smiling at him.

Gaara growled softly. What in the world was happening to him!

"Fine." he said abruptly. The sand slithered apart and flowed back into his gourd. Gaara walked over and opened the door. "Stay." he ordered, and left.

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Ogenki desu ka - I am glad.

Daijobu - Are you alright?

Sabakurô - Desert Prison, this jutsu uses sand to imprison the victim.

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Me: Okay! Responses to the reviewers...

kensan-nixme - domi arigotou! Thank you. I hope you continue to read my stories.

Falling past the veils - And I can't wait til you put your story up. I hope it is sometime soon. : D And yes, you spelled it wrong.

Lady Cell - To my most faithful reviewer, I laugh with you. -laughs hysterically- And yes, us Gaara fans all dream about wearing Gaara's shirts. -sighs dreamily-

GenisSage - You don't have to wait long, cuz I have the next chappie written up. Just need to type and post it. -smiles-

Chocolate Panda - You don't have to wait long. And yes, the time between the updates is so long...

Obsessive Insanity - Thank you, thank you! Its people like you who make writing fanfics all the more worthwhile. I will try to develop Naruka more, but she has kind of a bipolar personality (the kind of person who laughs while they kill someone, and then acts perfectly normal.) so it might be harder to develop, but I'll try. -strikes nice-guy pose-

Chixon - Another one of my faithful reviewers! Thanks for reviewing, and I'll update soon!

Rikki-Boy - I will don't worry. You just keep reading.

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Me: Whew! So many reviewers.

Gaara: -snorts- They probably just reviewed because you begged them to.

Me: -hits Gaara over the head with an apple- Anyway, just keep on reviewing! -drags Gaara's body off stage.


	7. Breakfast

Me: Sorry I took so long to update! I swear, I had this all up and ready to go, but I couldn't find the time to check out a Japanese dictionary to translate Naruka's attacks.

Naruka: Sure, blame this all on me.

Me: -glares- I created you, and I can un-create you, so I would shut up if I were you.

Naruka: -shrugs- Whatever. I'm immortal. I can't die.

Me: Just...go away.

Gaara: Isn't she smart?

Me: -groans- On to the story! Oh, and I decided that 'First Kiss' was kinda cliche, so I changed the title to 'Suna to Hi', which means 'Sand and Fire' in Japanese.

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

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Normally, if someone had told Naruka to "Stay," she would have left as quickly as she could, to beat the heck out of them for treating her like a dog. This time though, she stayed, waiting. Naruka needed to know why he had brought her to Sunagakure, when she knew perfectly well that he could have killed her and taken the scroll without any trouble. And he was interesting. No one else she knew behaved like he did. No one except herself. Like with the sand back there. For most people, almost killing her like that was a bit extreme, just because she called him 'chan.' and he didn't like it. In her book though, it was perfectly normal. She herself would probably have locked that person up in her Hi no Kusari. Naruka wanted to see what he would do next, and she was content to wait for it. After all, fire was never impatient.

Normally, Gaara just ate whatever Temari and Kankuro gave him for breakfast. He never asked for more, or asked for something different. But this time was different. This time he had someone else to feed.

When he entered the kitchen/dining room, he saw Kankuro and Temari try and hide their expressions of surprise. Gaara supposed that they probably were happy that he had been gone so long, and disappointed that he had come back.

"H-Here you g-go G-Gaara." stuttered Temari as she handed him three pieces of buttered toast.

Gaara took the toast silently, and sat at the table to eat. Kankuro tried to hide behind his Rice Krispies cereal box. Unfortunately, he succeeded horribly. Gaara could see every inch of his painted face. Temari kept out of sight.

_What had happened?_ She wondered. _To put him in such a bad mood so early in the morning?_ "Umm…Gaara?"

Gaara looked up from his toast. "What?" His eyes bored into hers.

"A-Are you al-alright?"

_Hmmm_… whispered Shukaku. _He's got a demonic phoenix in his room that calls him Gaara-chan and encourages him to have dirty thoughts. He can't freakin' kill her because of some 'feeling' inside him, and she smiles at him while he suffers. Do _you_ think he's alright?_

"Yes. I am." Gaara said simply. He turned back to his toast.

Temari's eyes narrowed. She now was _sure_ that something was up. And she received more evidence of that with Gaara's next sentence.

"Temari?" he asked after he finished. "Can I have some more to take to my room?"

If she had dared, Temari would have raised an eyebrow questioningly. She didn't dare. Instead, she just handed him another plate of toast. Gaara took it, and headed toward his room.

Temari and Kankuro debated silently whether or not to follow him to his room (for Kankuro had also noticed that something was up with Gaara), until Gaara's voice drifted over.

"Don't even think of following me."

Gaara walked over to his door and without knocking, opened it. A strange sight met his eyes. Naruka was still seated on his bed. In her hand was a ball of fire, the flames curling and writhing around the form. Tendrils of sand wrapped around her legs, occasionally rising up as if to gaze at her. Naruka's hazel eyes were closed. A red glow rested on her forehead, through her bandage. He saw her lips barely move, mouthing words. The flames grew and writhed even more. The sand was restless.

Suddenly, Naruka turned and smiled at him. Not the annoyingly cheerful smile that Gaara hated, but a soft smile, one that lit up her eyes and made it look as if he was the only one she ever smiled at like that. His heart jumped, and for a moment, Gaara only wanted her to smile at him. If he deluded himself, he could believe that she looked glad to see him.

Naruka saw him glance at the fire in her hand. "Oops. I'm sorry." She spread out her hand and the fire shrank. She clenched the hand that held it into a fist, crushing the ball. There was a hiss, and smoke rose from her closed fist. When she opened it, there was only a pile of ash left. Naruka dusted her hands off, and patted the sand around her legs. "Thank you for watching over me." she said politely. The sand slithered back into the gourd. Gaara sat next to her on the bed, and handed her the plate.

"Arigotou." She took the plate. "Itadakimasu." Naruka started eating hungrily.

"What were you doing?" asked Gaara after a while, his voice as flat and emotion-drained as ever.

Naruka swallowed. "Fire scrying. It's when you look for images in a fire."

Gaara thought this over while Naruka finished the toast. "Did you see anything?" he asked after she finished.

She grinned at him. "Yes. I saw you at the door with a stack of toast." Gaara didn't know whether to believe it or not. Then Naruka sighed. "I still can't see anything from the past or the future though. Just the present." She looked at the empty plate. "Should I take this to the sink?"

"No. I'll do that." He took the plate from her.

"Gaara! Baki-sensei is calling us! It's time to go!" Temari's voice punched through the door.

"I have to go." Gaara got up and went to the door, placing a hand on the doorknob.

"Can I come and watch?" Naruka hopped off the bed.

"No. Stay in this room. Don't leave." He glared at her. "Or else." The door swung shut behind him.

Naruka interpreted it as, "You can leave, but be careful."

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Hi no Kusari - Chains of Fire

Arigotou - Thank you

Itadakimasu - Something Japanese people say before eating.

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Me: Right here is where I would usually put responses to the reviewers. But I have recieved mixed updates that has banned/outlawed/made taboo review spots. So, until I sort this mess out, I will not be posting up review spots.

Naruka: Meaning she doesn't want to spend the time typing up review responses.

Me: -glares- I need to torture you in the next chappie.

Naruka: Don't worry, you will.

Gaara: Review please.


	8. Memories

Me: -throws confetti into the air- I UPDATED! Quickly too.

Gaara: ...

Me: I found a mistake in the 2nd chappie! I got Naruka's age wrong, and I will fix that as soon as it is humanly possible. Anyway, Naruka is 12 in this fic, and so is Gaara.

Naruka: Let the torturing of me comence!

Me: -stare-

Gaara: -stare-

Naruka: What?

Me: Back to the story... Gaara, will you?

Gaara: -glare- I hate you.

Me:-smiles- I know.

Gaara: DarknessReigns4ever does not own Naruto.

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If anyone had been near the sand dunes at about 10:00 that morning, they would have seen a dark-haired girl with glasses and clothes that were slightly too big for her struggling up a particularly big dune. They would have also noted that she was in a bad mood and cursing fluently.

_At least if I was in Amagakure I would have my willow tree._ Naruka thought crossly. _Not all this sandy stuff._ She flopped down on the sand, feeling the heat caress her body. The wind was cool, carrying a trace of rain. There were no clouds in the sky. Naruka sighed, taking off her glasses and slipping them in her pocket. Her demon instincts pulsed gently in her heart, wanting blood. Naruka ignored them.

She really needed a quiet place to sort out her feelings. Back in Amagakure, Naruka would have sat under the willow tree on the outskirts of town to think and sort out her feelings. Here, she had nothing, until she remembered the sand dunes. Hoping that no one would be there, Naruka had headed out. Never having been to Sunagakure was no problem for her. She just used her Jagan eye to guide her to the dunes. Naruka thought she may have made a wrong turn somewhere that took her a bit too close to the Kazkage's office, but no one saw her and she got here, so it was alright.

Naruka closed her eyes, breathing deeply, until she was calm enough to sort out her feelings. She opened her eyes.

Why had she slept? And without nightmares too. Naruka smiled sadly. Yes, the great demon phoenix Naruka didn't sleep because of a few bad dreams. A few bad dreams about her few bad childhood experiences. She smirked. Oh the irony. Maybe she had slept without nightmares when she was younger, but when she got older; many nights she had woken up screaming. Naruka didn't like her childhood, and she saw no reason for her to relive it her dreams. So she had become an insomniac. Sometimes while she was meditating (her form of sleeping) she had nodded off. But those became fewer and fewer as she learned to control her exhaustion.

Naruka growled. All this wasn't helping her figure out her question. Dropping that line of thought, she contemplated Gaara. For a moment, Naruka pictured him, a frown on his face, his messy red hair, and those intense, beautiful, empty, light green eyes. And that clean, soft, minty smell that seemed to float around him. Naruka lifted her arm, and sniffed. That smell was on his clothes. She sighed happily. She loved that smell. But why had he brought her here. Surely not so she could enjoy his clean, nice, fresh, soft, minty, really really really great smell. Naruka sighed happily. She loved that smell. But really. Why had he brought her here? Naruka tossed that question around in her head, but ended up more frustrated and confused then ever. _I wish I were dead._

_--_

Teddy bear in my hand. A tall boy came and took it. I wanted it. I needed it. So I asked for it back. He laughed, and dangled my bear above my head as I jumped for it. He laughed again, and kicked me, walking away, swinging my teddy by the arm. I felt angry. Oh so angry. Sand rose up behind me, crushing the boy. The bear was untouched.

--

_What is this?_

_--_

"Freak. Monster." Those words stopped as they saw me. I was walking down the street. A brightly colored ball rolled in my path. "Wait!" hissed a mother, holding back her child. I clenched my fists, stopping. A drunk staggered out of a bar. He pointed at me. "Haha. Look everyone. It's the demon kid." His words slurred together. I glared at him. "Sabaku Kyū." Sand wrapped around him. His eyes were still unfocused as the sand cocoon lifted him off the ground. "Sabaku Sōsō." He exploded with the sand. Blood rained down around me. I laughed, raising my head to taste the blood rain.

--

_These memories aren't mine._

_--_

Hugging my teddy bear. Crouched in a corner. Tears. I'm crying. Sobbing my heart out. The bear is already soaked with my salt. Why do they hate me? My mind screams. What did I do? Why? Why?

--

_This isn't me. This isn't my life._

_--_

Alone on a swing. Teddy bear with me. I'm watching other kids play. A girl with blonde hair comes to say hi. I see fear in her eyes. "Hello Temari." Temari, my sister. "H-Hello G-Gaara." She stammers, and then runs away, to the other kids. I'm alone again, swinging.

--

_Gaara? These are Gaara's memories?_

_--_

A figure shrouded in black, kunai raised, stalks toward me. I whimper, hugging my teddy closer. The figure stops. My sand had wrapped around him. The sand implodes, spraying me with blood. A white note, or used to be, shines on the floor.

--

_Why did someone try to kill Gaara?_

_--_

Alone in my room. Sitting on the bed. A ninja in the corner throws a kunai at my head. I hear the kunai thud against my sand shield. I kill the ninja, and see an open scroll on the floor. An assassination order. And on the bottom, a signature. By order of the Yondaime Kazekage.

--

_Why does Gaara's father want Gaara dead?_

_--_

With that thought, Naruka jerked awake, breathing hard. Slowly, two tears dripped down her face. _Poor Gaara. Poor, poor Gaara. No wonder he wants to kill everyone._ Naruka buried her face in her arms, and cried, her tears hissing as they melt the sand.

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Sabaku Kyū: The Coffin of Crushing Sand

Sabaku Sōsō: Impolding Sand Funeral

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Me: Next up, a trip to the marketplace!

Gaara: Why are you telling them what happens next?

Me: Because I want to.

Gaara: People do many things because they want to.

Me: Your point is...

Gaara: Never mind.

Me: I've decided that this fic will probably last about 3-4 more chappies. So the end is near!

Gaara: -while DarknessReigns4ever is rambling on about the end- Review please.


	9. Drugs

Me: Here we are! The long awaited Chapter 9. Because I know you guys are probably going to come after me with pointy objects soon, I'll just let you read.

Gaara: ... Sabaku no Myth does not own Naruto.

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"Fresh fish! Straight from the sea!"

Naruka glared. Why she had decided to come to the market, of all the places she could have gone, even she didn't know. Naruka had just let her feet take her wherever they wanted. Next time, she would know better.

Naruka browsed, looking at items with half of her mind. Her Jagan picked up scraps of thoughts and opinions, filling her mind with them. She listened idly. A stall fill with katanas, kunais, and shurkien caught her eye, and Naruka practically flew over to look.

The shopkeeper frowned slightly. He didn't expect girls at his stall. Usually just Black Ops members, with their masks and expressionless faces (what was visible anyway.). Not a small, innocent girl with strange clothes that were a little too big for her and a katana strapped to her back. A well-used katana. He shivered. Maybe not so innocent.

Naruka picked up a kunai with a short, red tassel at the end, admiring it. She tugged gently at a strand of hair, and ran it lightly over the edge of the kunai. The hair was sliced neatly in half. Naruka grinned. _This is one sharp kunai._ And it felt nice too, fitting snuggly in her palm. She turned to the shopkeeper.

_She definitely reminds me of someone._ Though the shopkeeper. His eyes narrowed, watching her examine the kunai. She didn't look like she would cause trouble, but…

"How much is this?" she inquired, holding out the kunai.

Those eyes. Dark. Deep. Empty. Tinged with a deep, golden yellow at the edges. The shopkeeper swallowed hard. He'd seen those eyes before. But at that time, they belonged to the red-haired demon boy. The expression in her eyes was exactly the same as Sabaku no Gaara's.

"Sir?"

Her voice snapped him back to reality. He swallowed again, slowly averting his gaze. Kami-sama, he didn't want to see her eyes again, ever!

"No charge. You can have it." He mumbled.

Naruka was puzzled. The kunai was obviously of very good quality, and he could easily fetch a high price for it. But life had raised her to accept these kinds of things, so she pocketed it without saying a word.

As she walked away, the merchant gave a barely audible sigh. The Jagan caught the last thought of the weapon-selling vender. _So you're glad to see me go? _She thought silently. Naruka's lips curled up into a smirk. _Well, you won't be the last. _She pushed through the crowd to a deserted alley.

"Ahhh." Naruka rejoiced silently in the dark. The pulsing of her instincts stilled, her mind grew quiet.

"Didja see the freak? Not so scary now, since he's been chewed out by the Kazekage, is he?"

Naruka frowned. This voice was real, not a piece of mind seen by her Jagan.

"I know. I'm glad that the Kazekage has some control of that monster."

Another one. Real. Close by. Very close by. Who were they talking about?

"Yeah. Or else we'd all be dead about now. If I were him, I'da have killed myself. For being a freak, I mean."

Voice number 2 snickered.

"It doesn't get any freakier than him, that's for sure."

Naruka walked toward the voices. Unfortunately, it brought her back to the middle of the street, where the crowds were.

"His mom should've named him 'Panda' instead of 'Gaara'." said voice #1.

Naruka stopped. They were talking about Gaara! Her eyes narrowed, and her fingernails dug into her palms as she clenched her hands into fists. Her world grew cold. _They called him a freak. _Whispered her demon self. _They called him a monster and a panda. _If her demon self had teeth, it would've smiled. _They cannot be forgiven._

"Yeah. Gaara the panda-eyed freak of Sunagakure." They laughed, enjoying their little joke at the expense of Gaara. Suddenly they were pinned to the wall.

"What the…" He screamed. Fire brands surrounded his writs, ankles, and neck, standing about half a foot from his skin. He'd moved and burned himself on the rings of fire.

A girl stood in front of them, hands in her pockets.

"I wouldn't move if I were you." She said idly. She could be talking about the weather for all her voice was indicating.

"You see, Hi no Kusari makes it so the person chained is unable to move. The fire doesn't touch you directly or you'd burn to death. However…" Here Naruka smirked, for she's seen both guys break out in sweat. "The fire is currently at 110° degrees. Enough for the burns you receive from this fire to be horribly painful. Now." She suddenly became all-business. "What were you saying about Gaara?"

The one on the right blurted out, "Why do you want to know?"

Naruka smiled thinly, no humor in her golden eyes.

"Because I'm interested." Her voice dripped honey. "And because," Here the fire around them tightened, making smaller rings. "You won't die as quickly."

"Gaara got in trouble with the Kazekage." Said the one on the left hurriedly. "It was something about not completing a mission."

"Yeah." It seemed as though the one was also keen to live. "It was about being unable to retrieve a scroll."

Naruka frowned inwardly. _Scroll?_

"What did the scroll contain?"

"We wouldn't know," began the first.

The bands blazed.

"But we heard it contained information about a hidden technique that the Kazekage wanted." Finished the second hurriedly.

Naruka stared at them blankly, mind somewhere else.

_I had that scroll. He needed it. He got in trouble for it. Yet he saved me. Why? Why didn't he just leave me? I need answers…_ She saw her captives again. _I won't get any from them._

"Please. We've told you all you wanted to know."

"Yeah." said the other. "Let us go."

Naruka smiled cruelly. _I forgo how I used to love this. The feeling of holding someone's life in your hand. And…_ Her chakra flared. _The feeling of power when you get to _take _that life._

"Please. Let us go." Voice One pleaded. "We haven't done anything to you."

_Time to test out my new kunai._ Naruka thought, drawing it out. She tossed it, answered, "You were born." Catching the kunai and simultaneously drawing her katana, she leapt toward them.

The first was stabbed, kunai to heart. With a flick of her wrist, Naruka slit the other's throat. They were dead before they had time to scream. The coppery tang of blood filled her nostrils. Oh, how she had forgotten that feeling of ultimate power. And now, tasting blood and having that power, Naruka threw back her head and laughed. It didn't matter that it was broad daylight, and that she was in a foreign (and possibly hostile) village slaughtering their civilians. No. All that matter was her weapons soaked in red, fresh blood splattered on her clothes and hugging her flesh, that copper tang against her nostrils, and the feeling of power in her heart.

Killing was like a drug and Naruka had just gotten another heavy dose.

She turned around, a reckless grin on her face, a maniacal glint in her eyes. The shoppers stood and stared. Another quick flick and her katana was clean. Another and it was sheathed on her back. Naruka marveled at how easily her new kunai slipped out of the corpse at her tug, the body falling to join the other at the base of the wall. She shook her head, flicking off the blood and pocketing it. The crowd parted easily, letting her through to the weapons stall.

_Probably from shock. _Naruka mused. _Their brains haven't caught up with their eyes yet._

Likewise, the weapons shopkeeper was also in shock with his eyes wide and mouth agape.

"You…you…" He stuttered, clearly at loss for words. Behind her, some in the crowd had snapped from their daze and were moving toward his stall angrily.

The girl leaned in close. He could see his reflection in her pale gold eyes and smell the freshly spilled blood soaked in her clothes.

"Thanks for the kunai." He heard her say with her lips curved in a smirk. "It's perfect." That, and her soft maniacal laugh, were the last things he heard before sinking to the ground in a death faint.

_Civilians. _Naruka thought amused. _So fragile and excitable._ She glanced behind her at the angry crowd. _Time to go._

Raising her hands to make the sign of the dragon, she smiled. Her hands made the sign and Naruka disappeared in a sudden whirl of fire.

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Me: -sighs- Wasn't that nice?

Gaara: -has no coment-

Me: Oh, and by the way, Hi no Kusari is Chains of Fire in Japanese. It's an imprisionment technique. Read and review please!

Gaara: You don't desearve reviews.

Me: -pushes Gaara out of the way- Don't listen to him.

Gaara: -attackes author violently-

Me: Help...


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